the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Washington DC, there’s shooting for the moon — and then there’s putting a nuclear reactor on it. U.S. Transportation Secretary and newly installed interim NASA chief Sean Duffy confirmed Tuesday that the agency has fast-tracked plans to deploy a small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) on the moon by early 2030 — and investors wasted no time fueling a rally across the nuclear energy sector.
🌕 Why It Matters
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NASA’s goal: Install a lunar SMR capable of generating at least 100 kW — enough to power ~80 homes on Earth, but potentially critical for permanent moon bases where solar isn’t reliable.
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The push: China and Russia have already announced plans to jointly build a moon-based reactor by the mid-2030s — and Duffy warned this could create a territorial “keep-out zone” that hinders U.S. ambition.
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The path forward: NASA will appoint a program director within 30 days and solicit formal proposals from private companies within 60 days — kicking off a lunar tech landgrab.
🚀 Stocks That Took Off Tuesday
| Company / ETF | Focus | Price Jump |
|---|---|---|
| Oklo | SMR developer (Earth & moon) | +10% |
| Nano Nuclear Energy | Compact reactors | +7% |
| NuScale Power | Modular nuclear reactors | +5% |
| Global X Uranium ETF (URA) | Uranium miners & producers | +2% |
| VanEck Uranium+Nuclear ETF | Broader nuclear exposure | +2% |
| BWX Technologies | Reactor supplier | U.S. Navy |
🔋 BWX in particular is having a breakout year — posting double-digit revenue growth and earning rave reviews from analysts as demand for nuclear scales up both on Earth and in space.
🌍 Bigger Picture: Nuclear Is Having a Moment
Powered by the AI boom and data centers guzzling electricity, the U.S. energy grid is scrambling — and nuclear is back in vogue as a carbon-free, high-density, 24/7 supply solution.
Now, with a moonshot on the horizon, the space race may be the unexpected catalyst that turns nuclear into the hottest energy sector of the decade.
Bottom Line: Trump’s push to plant a reactor on the lunar surface has ignited Wall Street’s imagination — and nuclear stocks are glowing.
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